The Varying Terrain of Southern California

One of the things I am most impressed with here in SoCal is the sheer variety of terrain to be found within an hour in any direction. From the gritty city lights of LA, to the beaches and surf colonies of the coast, to the high end resort and tourist destinations of SB and up into the more remote ranches and towns in the mountains - it's amazing. The mountains are vast and rugged, the landscape a combination of the lush and the arid, depending on how much water is at your disposal. The history - while not as old as the east coast cities that birthed America - certainly hold my attention...settlers with nothing but what they could hold on a horse or keep in a covered wagon rode mountain ranges more harsh and battled populations and animal varieties more dangerous than they had ever seen before - just to lay claim to new territory and start a new life. It was cool to be on El Camino Real and then on the old stagecoach routes, to know as much as we can know what route they, the people who settled the west, traveled to start over in remote locations.
































the suspension bridge












Solvang, 100 year old Dutch city in the mountains







Stage coach watering hole













The mission gardens










Back down the coast road to SB



















Back near SB - workers picking flowers in the fields






cool old gas station restuarant from the 20s - mostly behind barbed wire but I was able to hold the camera above me and get some photos.




Headed into Ojai. Was getting way too bright for photos so just snapping a few as I went.








Later in the day at the Thacher school...the whole reason for me being here in CA. I'll post more later from the horse competition on Saturday.